The state media RIA Novosti published the news that students of general education institutions are required to attend the lessons "Conversations about the important". The news agency refers to the clarifications of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
“New lessons“ Conversations about the important ”are required to attend, since extracurricular activities are part of educational programs, the Ministry of Education explains,” RIA Novosti said in a statement.
However, as the Alliance of Teachers points out, there is no such statement in the explanations of the Ministry of Education. In fact, the authorities evade the answer to the question of the obligation to attend, publishing the wording “in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard, extracurricular activities are part of the educational program” (FGOS – Federal State Educational Standards).
At the same time, the “Alliance of Teachers” notes that, in accordance with the law “On Education” and the same Federal State Educational Standards, the choice of extracurricular activities and the organization in which the student attends them is the right of the student. Therefore, such lessons cannot be mandatory.
“That is, in the card with the question about obligation, they deliberately made it so that they did not give a direct answer, but to impress people who were not immersed in the question that the answer was yes,” Daniel Ken, head of the Alliance of Teachers, explained to The Insider.
Lessons "Talk about the important" itself is defined by the Ministry of Education as teaching schoolchildren about patriotism, the history of the country and its cultural values. In June, it was reported that among the topics of such class hours were the 110th anniversary of the author of the anthems of the USSR and Russia, Sergei Mikhalkov, "The Immortal Regiment" and "reunification with the Crimea." In St. Petersburg, during the preparation of teachers for these lessons, it was stated that in this way they are trying to “protect children from the Internet”, which is especially important “during a special operation.”
Every school week for all students from grades 1 to 11 will begin with a lesson on propaganda. The Alliance of Teachers urges parents to massively complain to school principals and the Ministry of Education about the “Conversations about the Important”, and teachers to refuse to conduct special lessons, defending the freedom to choose an educational program.